R. A. T. H

Two vol.3

The doorbell rang once more, the sound of jingles echoing through the apartment and into the bedroom. The three girls stared at each other, a trace of annoyance on all of their faces.

Rose stood up from her crotch with a sigh. "I'll go check it out, you two should continue getting ready."

"Mhmm, alright."

"Gotcha."

She reached their apartment's door quickly and opened it, the morning air of the suburban street hitting her face as she blinked her eyes at the individual standing before her, upon the second-floor terrace of stone.

"You are. . .?"

It was a woman with a pale complexion, who looked as if she were in her mid-twenties. She had hazel, short hair in a bob cut and rectangular glasses shielding her green eyes while she wore a white shirt tied at her waist to make it fit her, and brown, jean shorts paired with sandals. Though she looked normal, that was the case only if Rose decided to ignore the white lab-coat on her person, the fingerless black gloves on her hands, and the large goggles on her forehead.

"I'm Sora Casburn," The woman spoke with a grin that created dimples near her freckles, yet was overshadowed by the dark circles around her eyes. She pointed to her right, or Rose's left. "I'm your neighbor. I noticed you guys just moved in recently and thought I should use my break from my research to finally say hello."

She showed off the plastic bag in her hand, shaking it.

"I brought brownies as a welcome gift," She said, then chuckled, "Though I got them from a store, well technically from a drone I guess, so don't expect much."

Rose's eyes glanced over the woman as her thoughts ran.

'Pale complexion, shadows around her eyes, and a body that seems frail. . .well, at least it's safe to say she isn't lying when it comes to having been stuck inside her apartment,' She thought. As well, thanks to her superior senses, she could already smell the brownies from the bag.

Of course, there was reason enough why Rose was wary of strangers. Even now, she didn't know when the next trouble would come knocking from one; and she certainly didn't want it, not after finally having a reprieve in her life. She had been through far too much for that. Though she chased strength, it was only so she could guarantee this freedom.

"Hello?"

"Come in."

Rose held the door wider, and the woman gingerly entered, a yawn leaving her lips as the door closed, locking automatically. There was the sound of a shower in the air.

"Wow, you guy's barely have any decorations, how long have you been in here?" Sora said, sitting down on the only chair in the room, the green couch, and placing her plastic bag on the wooden table in front of it. She stared around, partly sleepy, but curious.

'Barely any' was an overstatement. The only real 'decoration' they had was a clock on the wall of the apartment's door, if the television in-front of the couch didn't count. In a sense, Rose, Elsa, and Lilias were more practical in what they owned than any want for eye-candy. If they had money, they weren't the type to squander it on useless things.

Rose sat beside the woman. She was dressed in only a gray sweater that reached all the way to the middle of her thighs. Something she often wore as home-wear.

"Just a few days," She said, "Do you want anything? Tea? Apple juice? Water?"

"Oh no, nothing." Sora shook her head. "I'm not gonna stay for long."

She reached for the plastic bag and opened it, pulling out a container with already-cut brownies in them and a receipt which she simply crumpled up.

"Here," She said, opening it on the table.